Yes, you can talk about politics at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here and political fervor remains at a high level. Politics at the dinner table may be unavoidable, but it need not be combative. In fact, we should be encouraged to talk about things beyond the latest Marvel movie at the theater, so here are a few non-partisan pointers for discussing politics this Thanksgiving:

Respect the other side. You can vehemently disagree, but the minute you start saying things like “Shame on our country,” or “It’s about time,” you are immediately placing more importance on your opinion and on your vote than on those of your family. You are also making assumptions that everyone shares your views; the election result clearly shows America is not unanimous.

Be tolerant. A vote for Hillary Clinton didn’t mean a complete belief in all of her policies and support of her questionable foundation practices. Similarly, a Donald Trump vote hardly meant full support for misogyny and racism. Regardless of how we got here, there were only four candidates from which to choose (only two of whom the media chose to cover), so it’s unlikely that any voter was going to align exactly with a candidate. It was a “lesser of evils” choice for many, so recognize the lack of good choices and respect the vote.

Choose your battles. The candidates rarely chose to focus on their policies, but you still can. At this point, arguing against a candidate’s character flaws is useless. Instead, choose a topic where the sides differ, defend your stance, and listen to the counterargument. That’s how a civil debate works.

Use facts. When presenting your argument, use facts — not snippets from biased media outlets, but actual facts, data, quotes, etc. If you have none, you should focus more on passing the potatoes than debating foreign policy anyway.

Practice humility. You don’t have all the answers. Really, you don’t. Neither does the next person. Asking about political topics you don’t quite understand can go a long way toward learning and stimulating a healthy debate. When asked rather than attacked, people feel like they are contributing to a debate rather than defending themselves.

So, when you arrive at your destination Thursday, thank the hosts, bring something to share, and if politics becomes a talking point, above all, discuss like an informed voter and not like an overcooked turkey.